Lobster rolls - substitute bread?

Lobster rolls - substitute bread?

I've been seriously wanting a lobster roll lately - I saw online sales of six portions, with Whoopie pies, going for $80, which at $13.33 each is actually not far from the prices I remember at Bass Harbor, Maine, but still a huge chunk of change altogether.So I'm in the farmers market today and seeing steamed lobsters marked down 50% - never going to beat fresh, but I'm getting inspired to build 'em myself...the catch is, the bread. I'm never going to find the rolls they use up there down here, so what can I substitute? Here in the Atlanta area there're lots of gourmet grocery bakeries, and lots of ethnic specialty bakeries - Mexican, Brazilian, Russian, Asian, you name it. So, any ideas? Grocery store hot dog buns just don't inspire.

Sure they will, get one of those buns, a good bread knife, and slice off a very small portion of the crust on each side, butter and grill. No mystery there. Lobsters were probably sleapers at 50% off not bad though as long as they don't start to smell like amonnia. Leave the meat in large chunks dress lightly with mayo or butter, your choice, and you will have some fine eating. But what do I know I don't eat the bugs only cook and serve them. Chow Jim

Split top rolls are not a must. In another thread, I mentioned a place in Ogunquit, Maine that uses a pocket. Here in yuppie Massachusetts, a lot of places now serve lobster (salad) rolls as "wraps". Others serve on homemade bread. There are lots of right answers, but the only wrong answer is to skip the lobster roll because you couldn't find the "right" bread.

Of course, when we used to get lobster for free I ate my share of salad sandwiches on supermarket wheatbread, but it wouldn't be my first choice. I'd avoid anything too chewy (i.e. sourdough) or with a hard crust because I think it would compete with the lobster, but that's just my taste.

Lucky, you gotta realize, I don't even like side split for my hotdogs!

Can anyone find if Pepperidge farms still makes split-top buns? I can't find them online anymore.When I was living in NC, I could get the Pepperidge Farm split-tops at some Harris Teeters and Krogers. I'm almost certain Food Lion didn't have them, but not completely certain.

Incidentally, the food section of today's Globe did a taste test of split-tops and rated Pepperidge Farm the best. On the other hand, this is the same food section that employs the dippy Sheryl Julian, so I rarely trust their judgment.

Wonder split-top rolls were rated the worst, Freihofers (my personal fave) second from the top and Nissen and some other brand (Country Kitchen, maybe?) in the middle.

That photo shows a strong pet peeve I have about split-tops: some brands are very sloppy about how they cut them, and you're left with buns that are cut way off-center like those in the picture. I always put those aside and look for a package where the cut is where it belongs.

I'd be happy to. Pepperidge Farms hot dog buns are a Conney Island style bun but split down the top. In our local Pepperige Farm store I have never seen the style of bun pictured above. Hannarford grocery store food chain has a good N.E. style bun for $1.19 a dozen and Demoulas Market Basket has a fair product {they are never cut evenly} an 8 pack and 12 pack. Could never figure out that 8 pack thing. Chow Jim

thanks for the nugget on Pepperidge Farms brand. It's been years since I bought them. They were the closest thing to the New England roll I could find in NC. So, we got them on occasion. But then they were off the shelves.

It was at least a five year wait after that until I had moved to DC and Wegman's opened up in Northern VA when I could finally stop bringing huge amounts of groceries back to my apartment from my Syracuse trips. The list included Hofmann hot dogs and coneys, Wegman's New England style rolls, grandma brown baked beans, Dinosaur BBQ sauces and rubs, NYS wines, and other assorted CNY items.